Choosing to enter addiction rehab is a huge decision. You may be wondering what type of rehab will best suit your needs, and what will lead to your best possible outcome.
Outpatient rehab may seem like the final step of the rehab journey before exiting the process, but this isn’t true. This is a completely separate form of rehab from others and is often a perfect solution for busy people looking to work through their addiction without neglecting life responsibilities. It doesn’t have the same 24/7 demands of inpatient rehab, so people who desire to stay close to home still have the option to work on their recovery actively.
At Santa Barbara Recovery, our California rehab center offers levels of care including outpatient rehab for people with more manageable addictions who can live outside of a rehab facility but still receive extensive treatment.
What is Outpatient Rehab?
Outpatient rehab for addiction is a type of treatment program where individuals receive therapy and support without staying full-time in a facility. It typically includes regular sessions with counselors, group therapy, and educational workshops. These programs are typically very flexible, allowing patients to maintain daily responsibilities like work or school. Outpatient rehab often serves as a less intensive level of care after inpatient treatment or a less intense option for those with less severe addiction issues. Offerings regarding therapy and holistic treatment may be the same or slightly limited for outpatient treatment.
Types of Outpatient Rehab
There are many different types of outpatient rehab, and availability varies across different locations. There can also be some crossover between outpatient offerings and what’s offered for participants in inpatient treatment.
Benefits Of An Outpatient Rehab Center
- Standard Outpatient Treatment (OP): This involves regular visits to a treatment center for therapy sessions, typically a few times a week. This is suitable for those with mild addiction who need minimal support. Many people (if not most) find that they can work this type of program while maintaining a job.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): These programs require more frequent sessions of therapy, usually several times a week. An IOP can provide a higher level of care while allowing patients to live at home and continue daily activities. An IOP with sober living can provide this while also providing a haven with no temptation for substance use in off hours.
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): Sometimes known as “day treatment,” PHPs offer intensive treatment similar to inpatient care but allow individuals to return home each evening. These programs are ideal for those needing significant support but not 24-hour supervision.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT): This format of treatment combines behavioral therapy and medications to treat substance use disorders. This is largely to aid with withdrawal, so the individuals will be able to cope with symptoms and focus on recovery. This is particularly helpful for people suffering from opioid or alcohol addiction, under the supervision of healthcare professionals.
Outpatient treatment is ideal for people who are suffering from addiction but aren’t in critical condition. They may have a lower risk of relapse than the typical person in recovery or may have already completed detox. It isn’t ideal for people who have heavy addictions or who may suffer extreme side effects of detox.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Rehab
Inpatient rehab for addiction involves residing at a treatment facility full-time, which provides 24-hour care and a highly structured environment. It usually includes daily therapy sessions, medical supervision (sometimes full medically-assisted treatment), and support aimed at addressing severe addiction. The idea is to step away completely from one’s normal life to address addiction in a focused manner.
Choosing between these two forms of rehab depends on the severity of the addiction and the individual’s specific needs. Outpatient rehab allows individuals to live at home while attending scheduled therapy sessions and treatment activities. This approach offers more flexibility, enabling patients to maintain daily responsibilities like work or school.
Who is Outpatient Rehab Good For?
Outpatient rehab is appealing in many ways, mostly due to the ability to maintain daily life during recovery. Individuals usually don’t have to take time off from work, secure childcare, or ensure post-rehab housing while completing outpatient rehab. But this doesn’t mean it’s a universal fit for everyone healing from addiction.
The format of outpatient rehab tends to work best for people who fall into the following categories:
1. Mild to Moderate Addiction: If someone’s addiction hasn’t progressed to a life-threatening level, it’s easier to treat and alleviate it on an outpatient basis.
2. Low Risk of Withdrawal and/or Medical Complications: Outpatient programs do not have as much intensive monitoring as inpatient treatment, and thus aren’t suitable for people who may need consistent medical support.
3. In Possession of a Strong Support System: If people have a local support system that can support their recovery, and aren’t in danger of relapse in their living situation, they have a better chance of maintaining recovery in outpatient treatment.
4. Consistent transportation: Outpatient treatment requires regular attendance of individual therapy, as well as other parts of the treatment program. Individuals in these programs aren’t living at the site of these appointments, so they must have consistent transportation so that they can maintain consistent appointments:
5. Motivation to Attend Sessions Regularly and Stick to Treatment: It’s much easier to attend treatment programs (or at least there are lower barriers to entry) in inpatient treatment. For someone to be successful in outpatient treatment, they must be motivated to attend treatment without constant oversight.
Talking with a medical professional will provide insight into what type of rehab program will work best for your needs. There may be a middle option, such as an IOP, that can address your needs without interfering with your life.
What Goes on in Outpatient Drug Rehab
There are many options for outpatient treatment, and individual treatment plans are constructed to take the individual’s needs into account. Most outpatient programs will include the following:
- Detox: Inpatient rehab programs may provide more support for those undergoing detox, but outpatient rehab programs will typically begin with an initial detox period. Individuals will receive oversight from a medical professional to help minimize the harm while their body purges the addictive substance.
- Addiction Therapy Services: All rehab programs rely upon consistent individual therapy. Outpatient rehab in particular uses group therapy as a part of continuous recovery support. The presence of other therapy types, such as family or experiential therapy, will depend highly on the location and individual treatment plan.
- Relapse Prevention: A key part of outpatient rehab is creating a plan for preventing relapse after all active treatment has concluded. Outpatient treatment is already very close to an individual’s home setting, which can still tempt someone to relapse into drug use.
How long does outpatient treatment last?
The length of drug treatment is highly dependent on the individual, the strength and type of their addiction, and their personalized treatment plan. Rehab programs may be 28 days long or several weeks, sometimes with a stop of all rehab services and assistance on how to continue treatment in a more self-directed manner. Others may involve a more tapered approach. But this all depends on the individual’s needs and their medical professional’s directives.
Why Choose Santa Barbara Recovery for Outpatient Treatment
Here at Santa Barbara Recovery, we work from the perspective of holistic treatment. Our men’s recovery facility is centered around healing the whole person from addiction, not just the body.
Individuals who choose Santa Barbara Recovery will be able to utilize the following benefits:
- Focused Treatment for Men’s Needs: Our facility is single-gender, only catering to men and their needs. By allowing for focus on a specific group of people, the staff at Santa Barbara Recovery can provide targeted support that speaks to men’s needs. Men who are attracted to women can focus on their recovery in a setting without potential distractions.
- Dual Diagnosis Treatment: For those suffering from addiction and mental illness, we offer focused dual diagnosis treatment that takes all of these factors into account. We understand that addiction interacts with mental illness and that treatment should include tending to the needs of a person’s trauma, treatment plan, and coping mechanisms for their mental illness.
- Treatment for the LGBTQ Community: We at Santa Barbara Recovery recognize that the LGBTQ population is at higher risk than the general population for drug and alcohol addiction. We provide compassionate support for all people who stay at our facility and work to take into account the needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
- Holistic Therapy: In addition to providing services like individual therapy and group therapy, Santa Barbara Recovery offers holistic therapy services like mindful meditation, yoga, breathwork, and much more. We believe that addiction is a disease, and we utilize alternative therapies to address the root of the addiction itself. It is all part of our dedication to healing the entire person of addiction.
Find Recovery At Our Men's Outpatient Rehab Center in California
Addiction is a struggle that many feel they have to face alone. But the opposite is true, and there are many people out there who are ready to help you recover and build a new life. Contact us today to discuss your options for recovery.
